British🍚 Starches

Potato Cakes

Name: Potato Cakes
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: ~1½ kg Potatoes (British red skins); ½ tsp Salt; ~½ cup Milk; ~4 tbsp Unsalted butter; ~¼ tsp White pepper; ~3 Spring onions; 1 bunch Chives; ~½ cup Flour; 100 ml Cooking oil

⏱ 50 min🍽 Serves 8

Classic British potato cakes with a crispy golden exterior and creamy buttery mash interior, flavored with spring onions and chives. Perfect as a side dish or breakfast accompaniment.

Adapted from a video by John Kirkwood

Potato Cakes, Cheap, Quick, Tasty & Easy to make:

Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

Potatoes (British red skins)~1½ kgest.
Saltfor cooking water, plus additional salt for seasoning½ tsp
Milkheated before adding~½ cupest.
Unsalted butter~4 tbspest.
White pepperor freshly ground black pepper~¼ tspest.
Spring onionsfinely chopped~3est.
Chivessmall bunch, finely cut; optional alternatives include shallots, spinach, garlic, parsley, dill, rosemary, or coriander1 bunch
Flouracts as a binder~½ cupest.

Steps

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1
Peel and cut potatoes into approximately 4 cm (1.5 inch) chunks. Rinse quickly under water and place in a pan, covering with enough water to just cover the potatoes.
2
Add half a teaspoon of salt to the water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pan, reduce heat to low, and set a timer for 20 minutes.
3
While potatoes are cooking, finely chop the spring onions, chives, and any other vegetables, herbs, or spices you wish to add.
4
After 20 minutes, test potatoes with a fork—they should pierce easily when cooked. Carefully carry the pan to the sink and tip potatoes into a colander. Swivel them gently to ensure they are completely drained.
5
Return drained potatoes to the pan. Add the heated milk and butter, and mash quickly to incorporate everything together.
6
Season with white pepper and salt, adding salt gradually and tasting until the flavor is right for you. Continue mashing until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Taste to confirm seasoning.
7
Let the mash cool for a few minutes.
8
Transfer the mash into a large bowl. Add the finely chopped spring onions and chives, then add the flour (which acts as a binder to hold everything together). Mix roughly in the bowl, then turn out onto your work surface and knead gently with your hands until well combined and consistent.
9
Place the mixture on kitchen scales and weigh it. Divide the total weight by 8 (or 10-12 for smaller cakes) to determine individual cake size. If you don't have scales, estimate by eye. Form each portion into a ball with your hands.
10
Sprinkle a little flour on your work surface. Take a potato ball, dust it lightly with flour, and gently press it into a patty shape. Place the shaped patties on a lightly oiled plate. Repeat until all eight are formed.
11
Heat a frying pan until hot, then add 100 ml of cooking oil. Once the oil is hot (around 150°C / 300°F), add the potato cakes to the pan. Give them a gentle shake to prevent sticking. Fry for about 5-7 minutes on each side, flipping to achieve a nice golden brown color on both sides. Check regularly and flip as needed.
12
Once golden brown (approximately 15 minutes total), transfer the potato cakes to a kitchen paper-lined plate. Let the paper absorb excess oil for about 5 minutes before serving.

Potato Cakes

Ingredients

Steps

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